The Light September 2018

TheLight Issue 222 September 2018 Broomhedge looks to the future ‘Get up and walk’ - the Romania Team Michaela Johnston In USA with the Ulster Project Priesthill GB tribute Shirley’s 2018 Seymour Street Trip THE MAGAZINE OF THE LISBURN AND DROMORE METHODIST CIRCUIT Seymour Street Rev Mervyn Ewing 028 92662303 & 07801069806 [email protected] Contents: Shirley Carrington - 028 92607881 [email protected] 02 www.seymourstreet.org Editorial & Organ-ic 03 Trinity Rev David Turtle 028 92621282 All the Lonely People [email protected] 05 Rev Ken Todd 028 9669848 [email protected] Priesthill GB tribute Rev Jim Williamson 028 97560393 07 [email protected] Visit to Windsor Park Dromore 06 Rev Thomas Clarke [email protected] ‘Get up and walk’ 028 92651072 & 07771 918615 Rev Tom Deacon 13 028 38153071 & 07814 496659 Broomhedge looks to the future Priesthill 15 Rev Mervyn Ewing 028 92662303 & 07801069806 Jake and Joel on the Ulster Rev Tom Deacon 028 38153071 & 07814496659 Project Billy Bryson - 028 97532147 18 Magheragall & Broomhedge Castlerock CSSM Rev Thomas Clarke From the Registers [email protected] 028 92651072 & 07771 918615 19 Rev Jim Williamson Catherine Allen in EU Parliament 028 97560393 20 Cover Photo: 2018 Refresh team and children on Roseville Ordination of Rev Lou Monroe Green 21 Editor: Lindsay Easson Send material to: Shirley’s 2018 Trip [email protected] If you have material or photos for the next 23 edition of he Light please send them to the address above or give them to your church Seymour Street BB Awards representative by 2 You will note a few changes in the design of this issue of the Light. Printing technology is always moving on and so we can economise on costs by moving down to the more standard A5 page size, but keeping the same amount of material by increasing the number of pages from 16 or 20 to 20 or 24. We can now also adopt full colour printing throughout which will give the scope to incorporate more attractive design elements. I make no apologies that this edition of the Light features the activities of young people on so many of the pages as it is great to see young people benefiting from the opportunities to put their faith into action in a wide range of contexts, and it is an encouragement for us all to read about it. In know there are many others we could have heard from such as Anna and Andrew who have had such a great year on the TOM team and others who provided leadership at Castewellan Holiday week, and SU camps. Hopefully we can hear from more in future editions, and as Editor I am always happy to receive contributions from across the whole of our Circuit. The Rev Ross Harte was to have written an article for this issue but due to the recurrence of the serious illness of their son Timothy this had been postponed. As this is being written the Harte family remain in Bristol where Timothy is being treated and our prayer is that the course of treatment will lead to a successful outcome and a healthy and happy future for him. ORGAN-IC Seymour Street Saturday 6th October at 7.30 Roll up,roll up to a night to celebrate the installation of the newly refurbished organ in Seymour Street Methodist. For over a hundred years this fine instrument has supported worship in our wonderful church building. Come on Saturday 6th October at 7.30 to hear this newly revitalised instrument put through its paces for an evening of sacred and secular music. Enjoy a tasty supper whilst after listening to some of the best organ music, singing some of our finest hymns or enjoying the singing of our choirs. This will be a whole feast of musical delight. Seymour street now has arguably one of the finest instruments in the country. Bring your friends and celebrate together as we look forward to the next hundred years. 3 ‘ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE’ Rev Dr Edmund Mawhinney These words are from a Beatles song and highlight it doesn’t exist can have a detrimental effect on the what has been variously described as ‘the most health of mind and body. Sometimes today when we devastating malady of the age’ and ‘one of the refer to keeping in contact it’s not real living contacts greatest problems of 21st century society’ and also an we’re referring to but impersonal links by means of issue which needs to be prominent on the church’s social media. Important and useful as these new pastoral agenda. means of communication are, sending a virtual ‘hug’ to someone who needs us is not quite the same as Loneliness is much more common than we may sitting face to face with the person listening and imagine. Most have felt it at some time, but few talk sharing experiences. about it. It isn’t only confined to those who live alone. It can affect those who are single, married, with or Loneliness can be experienced by without children, and people who have friends. The Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness set up by the the older person. Labour MP before she was brutally murdered in 2016 Loneliness among those who are growing older is concluded in its report that ‘each and every one of us’ increasing and society and the church always need needs to be aware of the problem. It is no respecter to be concerned about provision to ease it. of persons. Albert Einstein, a giant of science, once A sad picture of loneliness is that of the elderly person admitted: ‘It is strange to be known so universally and who has outlived contemporaries and been forgotten yet to be so lonely’. by relatives. The younger generation has moved Loneliness is a feeling of inner emptiness, which away from their area. The neighbourly structure of involves restlessness, a sense of isolation and a former days has disappeared. The elderly person desire to be wanted. Lonely people feel left out and becomes isolated, fearful of the present and the future, rejected, even when they are surrounded by others. and unable to cope with modern bureaucracy. It is not to be confused with solitude. Solitude is a Even when they are not ill or immobile, some elderly state of being geographically alone. Loneliness is a people can be made to feel that their ideas are old state of being spiritually alone. Wise people know fashioned and begin to feel that they are in the way. that solitude is good for us and that we need it at regular intervals. Thomas a Kempis wrote: ‘It is Loneliness can be experienced proper and beneficial sometimes to be left to thyself’. within families. Our concern is not with solitude, but with those who Young people can feel lonely at home. Parents too feel isolation and long for the companionship of other can feel that they can no longer communicate with people, even when they may be geographically close their children. The language and thoughts of both to others. Human contact is very important and where groups move on different levels. We speak of the 4 ‘I am with you and will keep you wherever you go’ Genesis 28:15 generation gap, and sometimes think it never cried out: ‘Is there any agony like mine?’ happened before until it happened to us. In the Bible Saul never understood Jonathan and David, although Loneliness can affect us all a fine king in many respects made a bit of a mess of Loneliness affects us in different situations and at bringing up Absalom. different times of our lives. Any one of a number of hard experiences in life can contribute to it. Some recent data suggests that young mothers might be the loneliest of all and a study by the Office for Within a framework of good pastoral care the church National Statistics found that nearly one in ten people can help ease a sense of loneliness by its provision under 24 say that they are often or always lonely. This of luncheon clubs, groups for young mothers and their is a higher figure than for those over 65. There is children and the fellowship found in many of our other evidence that increasing use and reliance on social groups like bowling clubs, fellowship groups and so media contributes to this loneliness. Some can on. The church should also try co- operating, where become dependent on the approval of contacts online possible, with others in the community to provide and feel lonely if they have to go for any length of time resources and opportunities for interaction between without a ‘like’. people and even having the foresight to see where there may be gaps in the provision. Within this network of family relationships we should not forget the possible loneliness of the divorced, the Not everyone will see the benefit of a spiritual deserted, the single person, the orphan, the single response to loneliness but for the person of faith a parent, those who feel excluded, and that caused by spiritual answer is very helpful. It is found in the unemployment, prolonged illness or death. presence of God and in the strength of Christian fellowship. Some of the great promises of the Bible Loneliness can be experienced by are those that assure us of God's presence. It was God who was with Joseph when he went down as a the leader and the prophet. lonely slave into Egypt; it was God who reached out Leadership of the country, the managing role in to Elijah in his black despair.

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